Miron finds the goblins are wearing studded leather armour though it has been badly damaged... by impacts that seem to be roughly hoof shaped!
After a few seconds, Miron simply says:
"Hooves. They were slain with hooves. Let us keep moving elsewhere, find this prisoner."
Checking one of the doors. Shelves lined with crude tools, nets, and tack for goblin dogs line the walls here. To the northeast stands a large L-shaped wooden cage that contains dozens of rabbits.
Continuing on An open flight of wooden stairs winds up to a trap door in the ceiling, thirty feet above.
Miron moves past the rabbits with the group.
A matter for after we deal with the goblins. The creatures do not deserve to be kept in here.
If he is in front, he will carefully open the trap door. If not, he will wait for whomever is.
Anneka unlocks the rabbit cage, allowing the long-eared critters to escape. Any distraction might help them in this, and allowing the rabbits loose would reduce the goblins' resources, if only a little bit. "Shoo! Shoo!" She scares them out, then follows behind Miron.
Milgen starts to point out that rabbit stew is very tasty. Then he stops as Anneka frees them. Shrugging, he continues on. "I thought the prisoner was in the boarded up building..." Milgen says, pointing back toward the building that was boarded up. "Maybe it was a centaur or something?" He says, still looking back toward the building they didn't finish investigating.
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”Probably just a horse. Gobble don’t like horses or dogs. Though I suppose everyone eats rabbits. Quite tasty.” Seeing the rabbits go, Drazh reflected that he really should learn how to cook them. He could hunt for food well enough but it would be good to know how to make them into something that someone would actually want to eat.
"If it was just a horse, wouldn't they have killed an eaten it, not boarded it up in the barn?"
"Let us find this prisoner first. Unless they are one and the same."
As you move about near the shed you hear the a horse inside grow agitated, clearly in a foul mood... no doubt set initially by the goblins.
Miron looks to the others.
"My skills do not include calming angered animals. Can any of you lessen its anger?"
"In case there was anything or anyone critical hidden in there. But yes, that does seem unlikely. Let us push on."
Ferocia nods. "Yeah, but it will take a while. And I think we've got more pressing concerns."
"Ok, so it wasn't a prisoner. Makes no sense to me to board up a horse."
Ferocia moves over to the nearest door. "Goblins don't make a whole lot of sense on their best day, pal."
Then she opens the door and heads inside.
Going down the corridor Ferocia finds it turns and there is a door to the north and south. This area like the other indoor areas is dark and windowless, those without darkvision will need a light source.
Miron puts the bow on his back, lights a torch, and quietly adds while his right hand is free:
"Let us try north first."
He then takes up a sickle before advancing.
There are two doors leading west in the corridor to the north, this area is still pitch black.
Miron puts his ear to the nearest of the doors, signing for quiet.
Miron hears nothing on the far side of the door.
Ferocia follows close behind Miron...
Milgen, with his darkvision, can see into the shadows as if they did not exist.
As they go along slowly, Milgen also reaches out and touches Miron's bow on his back, and speaks some words. The bow begins to glow brightly, better even than the torch.
This small, foul-smelling room features little more than a reeking hole in the ground, its rim stained with refuse and waste.
"My, what an incredible smell you've discovered!"
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"The fook...?" Drazh was about to back out of the room, but then said "This doesn't make sense. If this was a privy, then the goblins would need for this hole to make it's way to the water outside. Otherwise it'd fill up right quick. I don't think that they have that kind of engineering skill. Unless...this entire place was made by someone else?"
He reached a hand back and shook his backpack, causing his hedgehog to poke it's head out. "Could ye do something about the smell?" The hedgehog shook it's bristles, and a light shimmered around Drazh's nose.
Drazh looked around, for any evidence of stonework which would hint towards whether this place was built by skilled hands or the crude craftsmanship of goblins.
Miron signs to Milgen before he extinguishes the torch and draws the bow again:
"My thanks. That was most practical."
He peers into the room.
You find a secret door beyond which is another small room, this one much less foul-smelling and containing a single extra-large sea chest with a heavy iron padlock.
"Azalia, I believe your expertise would be helpful here.", Miron states.
Azalia looks over the lock and starts to pick it... then a filthy blade from a scythe possibly slides out between the crack and leaves a nasty gash on her upper arm.
Azalia grits her teeth before begining the effort anew.
Inside you find an unorganised pile containing:
7,432 cp
2,490 sp
89 gp
3 pp
a leather pouch of 34 badly f lawed malachites worth 1 gp each
Medium chain shirt
Medium masterwork scimitar
Masterwork manacles
Gold holy symbol of Sarenrae worth 100 gp
Jade necklace worth 60 gp
Fine blue silk gown with silver trim worth 150 gp
Miron steps over to Azalia and places a hand over the wound, praying to Abadar.
"Good work, even if that sleeve will need mending. That is quite the haul. Are any of you followers of Saranrae? If none wish the chain shirt, I would take it. It would be less bulky than this coat. I would also take the manacles. Some of these items are very unusual for goblins. Could this be their leader's belongings?"
He is being circumspect about using the name they have acquired.
"Considering the gown and holy symbol, I'd say that's a safe bet. Let's put it away in our dwarves pack for now, and continue on. We can discuss it in town."
The other door in this corridor leads to a stone stairs that goes downwards.
"Never leave unopened doors behind you. Never know what's lurking behind them to attack you from behind."
Miron signs and speaks:
"Agreed. Let us continue to purge this place, room by room."
Anneka wordlessly takes the fine holy symbol, clutching it to her chest. It's reassuring, somehow, to find something so familiar in this hellish place. She wonders who it belonged to, and what's it's seen. She places it in her pocket and signs/speaks to the others. "I don't know that this is hers. Father Tobyn was a cleric of Desna, and he raised her in the same faith. A priest generally couldn't afford such a fine dress, either. I suppose it doesn't matter. We'll learn soon enough." The prospect of Nualia being here, so very close, is frightfully thrilling.
Do you know we are here? Are you waiting for us? Will we even recognize one another?
"Let's keep going here," she agrees, following behind Drazh.
A round table and a few chairs are this room’s only furnishings.
This large throne room is decorated with hanging furs along its walls, mostly black-and-red striped firepelt skins, various dog pelts, and in some cases, what look like horse hides. Four square timbers support the ceiling, their faces studded with dozens of iron spikes, with the lower
reaches decorated with dozens of impaled and severed hands in various stages of decay. To the northeast, a wooden platform supports a throne
heaped with dog pelts and horse hides. Dog skulls adorn the armrests and a horse skull leers over the throne’s back.
Three goblins in studded leather armour wait for you with blades drawn. Another at the back prepares to sing a rousing song to cheer it's allies on. The most imposing figure is a goblin in fine craftmanship breastplate riding an oversized gecko. "Now we kill you longshanks!"
Milgen
Miron
Azalia
Drazh
Ferocia
Anneka
Goblins
Miron invokes a tiny fraction of Abadar's judgement to weaken the goblin foe.
Anneka is almost relieved Nualia isn't here. Nonetheless, they are clearly facing the most significant threat they've seen since entering. She finds it hard to read the elongated, stretched lips of the goblins, but she definitely gets the jist of what's happening. Shoving her hands into the pocket of her apron, with one she clutches the healing wand she'd acquired in town. With the other, she seizes the symbol of Sarenrae and clutches it tight. She invokes the power of the goddess to bathe her friends in a divine light.
And, of course, to cast their shadows.
Milgen readies an action for the obvious bard in the back, hitting them as soon as they start to sing, to disrupt their song.
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Seeing the guard in the back begin to sing, Khaz pulled out a chakram and threw it at the creature.
He was a dwarf, and here was a defensible position. So long as he and Ferocia held the line, none of the goblins could reach their comrades. The longlegs could cast spells and fire over their heads, while the goblin with the monstrous mount would have it's maneuverability hampered. The goblins wouldn't even be able to flank them. It would be a straight fight...and that was a fight which always favored the dwarves.
The chakram went out, going past two goblins and right into the one which was singing. It buried itself into the goblin's chest.
"COME! What dwarf fears a goblin? Quit singing and fight!"
Milgen readies an action for the obvious bard in the back, hitting them as soon as they start to sing, to disrupt their song.
Miron invokes a tiny fraction of Abadar's judgement to weaken the goblin foe.
Azalia shoots at the Gecko badly injuring it.
Seeing the guard in the back begin to sing, Khaz pulled out a chakram and threw it at the creature.
He was a dwarf, and here was a defensible position. So long as he and Ferocia held the line, none of the goblins could reach their comrades. The longlegs could cast spells and fire over their heads, while the goblin with the monstrous mount would have it's maneuverability hampered. The goblins wouldn't even be able to flank them. It would be a straight fight...and that was a fight which always favored the dwarves.
The chakram went out, going past two goblins and right into the one which was singing. It buried itself into the goblin's chest. "COME! What dwarf fears a goblin? Quit singing and fight!"
Anneka is almost relieved Nualia isn't here. Nonetheless, they are clearly facing the most significant threat they've seen since entering. She finds it hard to read the elongated, stretched lips of the goblins, but she definitely gets the jist of what's happening. Shoving her hands into the pocket of her apron, with one she clutches the healing wand she'd acquired in town. With the other, she seizes the symbol of Sarenrae and clutches it tight. She invokes the power of the goddess to bathe her friends in a divine light.
And, of course, to cast their shadows.
Ferocia moves forward and claws the closest goblin.
As the goblin begins it's warbling song Milgen hit's it.
Two of the goblins move forward and attack Drazh one getting a glancing blow in.
The one Ferocia attack retaliates as best he can but fails to hit the fearsome dwarven woman.
Ripnugget takes out a potion and drinks it, his skin turning a dark brown.
Milgen
Miron
Azalia
Drazh
Anneka
Ferocia
Goblins Giant Gecko -9, Warcanter -14 Bane: Ripnugget, Pink -7, Yellow
Ferocia slashes at the pink goblin with her claws.
Anneka looks to the goblin chief and his giant lizard with concern. Sticking to the back, she casts her luck charm on Milgen.